


Unveiling

by worthmorethanrubies25



Category: Trolls (2016), Trolls World Tour (2020), Trolls: The Beat Goes On (Cartoon)
Genre: Added Music Genre Tribe, Belly Dancing, Eggs? What eggs?, F/M, Fluff, Married Couple, Mentioned Barb/Riff, Other Belly Dance Styles Mentioned, Post TWT, Raqs Sharqi, Rating May Change, Secret Dance Lessons, Surprises, Trolls don’t come from eggs in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:15:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26369329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/worthmorethanrubies25/pseuds/worthmorethanrubies25
Summary: Queen Poppy is planning a surprise for Branch.
Relationships: Branch/Queen Poppy (Trolls), Queen Essence/King Quincy (Trolls)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 49
Collections: Best Broppy





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> As you might’ve guessed from the tags, Raqs Sharqi is belly dance, specifically Egyptian belly dance. I hope to expand on other different types of belly dance in future works, but for this one I will be focusing mostly on Egyptian belly dance because it’s my specialty as a dancer myself.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I DO NOT own “Trolls.”

Right after the World Tour concert, the Funk Trolls gave Poppy and the other leaders updated maps of the Trolls world.

Prince D wasn’t kidding when he said that Poppy’s old map was outdated; the world was _**enormous**_. And there were so many different genres and sub genres of music: Gospel, Samba, Flamenco, Celtic,... _Raqs Sharqi_?

“What’s ‘racks shar-kwee?’” Poppy asked, pointing to an area on the map.

Queen Essence chuckled. “It’s pronounced ‘rocks sharky.’ They’re a sub genre of Belly Dance.”

“And Belly Dance Trolls are _not_ the type to be messed with,” Prince D interjected. “They use things like fire, snakes, and swords for dance props.”

“Did you just say _**snakes**_?” Branch asked.

“That sounds dangerous,” Trollex said. He and his people knew enough about sea snakes to stay away from them.

“It’s actually completely safe,” Essence replied, “The snakes they use for dance are non venomous and live primarily on insects and small rodents.”

Delta Dawn hummed. “You seem to know quite a bit about these Belly Dance Trolls.”

Essence smiled. “Belly Dance Trolls don’t respond well to aggression, but they are always willing to give dance lessons to foreigners.”

“Really?” Wani asked.

“Uh huh. But before you sign up, you should know that it’s a...sensuous dance.” Quincy smirked wickedly. “Essence took lessons from the Tribal Fusion Trolls; she gave me a private recital the night our boys were conceived.”

“Oh, my!” Trollzart murmured, blushing to the tips of his ears.

“Gross! I did _**not**_ need to know that!” Barb exclaimed.

Poppy was silent as the other Trolls continued to react to Quincy’s innuendo. As she processed what she learned about Belly Dance Trolls, she found herself studying her boyfriend, Branch.

_**Hmm**_ , she smiled to herself as an idea began forming in her head...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While watching “Trolls World Tour,” I couldn’t help but notice that the Trolls World map just seemed too small, especially if you consider that there are way more genres and sub genres than the ones mentioned in the movie. Then Prince D mentioned that Poppy’s map was outdated, so maybe the Trolls world is a lot bigger, and it would make sense that the Funk Trolls would know this because they fly around in UFOs. I don’t know; maybe I’m just reading too much into it. *shrugs*
> 
> I know this chapter is super short, but the other chapters will be longer (just be ready for a lot nerdy belly dance info worked into them).


	2. The Raqs Sharqi Trolls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who’s ready for a nerdy crash course in Egyptian Belly Dance History?
> 
> *crickets chirping*
> 
> Oh-kay. I’ll give it to you anyway. Hope you like it!
> 
> (By the way, I’m not the authority figure on this, so I apologize in advance for any mistakes.)

It was several months before she could put her plan into action. What with rebuilding everything that Barb had destroyed and diplomatic trips to all the other Genre Tribes.

Within that time, Poppy and Branch surprised everyone by deciding to get married. They figured since they had known each other all their lives, and the only thing that changed in their relationship when they started dating was the added romantic element, they didn’t really see the point in waiting long to marry.

It was three weeks after their wedding when the leaders got around to visiting the _Raqs Sharqi_ Trolls for the first time. And talk about a mind-blowing culture shock!

The _Raqs Sharqi_ Trolls lived along a river in the middle of a desert-like location and were ruled by three sisters: Queen Taheya, Queen Samia, and Queen Nagwa. Their houses were short one- or two-story stone buildings that were constructed closely together surrounding a massive palace where the Queens resided, so the leaders had to weave their way through dirt streets crowded with Trolls to get to the _Raqs Sharqi_ palace.

On almost every block, there was a different kind of party going on, each with their own singers, dancers, and live musicians playing accordions, percussions, and wind and stringed instruments. Branch nearly went into Panic Mode when he noticed four Trolls dancing with huge candelabras balanced on their heads. And where there wasn’t a party, there were either coffee shops, cabarets, boutiques, or market stalls with vendors hassling them to buy whatever they were selling.

The _Raqs Sharqi_ Trolls were different physically, as well as culturally. Their skin, hair, and eyes were all in various earth tones, contrasting sharply with the bright and colorful clothing and the metal accessories they wore. And they wore their hair hanging down their backs, rather than standing up.

It took almost an hour for the leaders to reach the front steps of the palace, where three women and two men were waiting. Judging from the gold jewelry and elaborate headdresses the three women wore, Poppy felt certain that these were the Queens of _Raqs Sharqi_.

The Queens all had the same caramel-colored skin and dark brown hair streaked with silver. They seemed to be around King Peppy’s age. The one that Poppy assumed was the oldest stepped forward with a kind smile.

“Welcome to _Raqs Sharqi_ Village,” she greeted in a thick accent. “I’m Queen Taheya, and these are my younger sisters, Queen Samia and Queen Nagwa, and their husbands, Farid and Ahmad.”

The leaders went around introducing themselves before being led inside the palace (where they were introduced to the Queens’ combined five daughters). They all sat down on cushions surrounding a low table and ate the local food as the Queens and princesses asked questions about each of the Genres’ music type and cultures, which the leaders happily answered.

Suddenly, out of the blue, one of the princesses stood up and pulled off the scarf she was wearing in her hair and tied it around her hips. She signaled to the musicians sitting in the corner to start up a lively tune, and she started to dance.

This was the leaders first real look at _Raqs Sharqi_ dance, since they only had glimpses of it in the village. Quincy was right: Belly Dance **_was_** a sensual dance, and it involved the entire body. Trollzart, Trollex and Prince D were blushing all the way to their hairlines. Delta even smacked Hickory upside the head when he seemed to be getting a little too interested in the princess’ performance.

But for Poppy, it was confirmation that she wanted to go through with her plan.

After the princess ended her dance and everyone applauded, Branch shifted on his cushion to turn to the Queens.

“So, how did your ancestors come up with _Raqs Sharqi_ dance?” he asked.

Taheya smiled, glad that someone was interested in her people’s heritage, and not just the dancing itself.

“At first, it started with simple exercises to help women strengthen muscles they use in childbirth. As time went on, it developed into a dance, which later split into several Sub Genres of Belly Dance.”

As Taheya continued to explain their history, the leaders were surprised to learn that there were Sub Genres within the _Raqs Sharqi_ Sub Genre: _Shamadan_ , _Saidi_ , _Cabaret_...just to name a few. There were also two other Belly Dance Sub Genres that lived and interacted with _Raqs Sharqi_ called _Awalim_ and _Ghawazee_.

Poppy seized her chance when Branch excused himself to use the bathroom. She stood up from the cushion she was sitting on and approached the three _Raqs_ _Sharqi_ Queens.

“Uh, your majesties?”

“Yes?” Samia answered.

Poppy nervously licked her lips. “Um, Queen Essence said something about Belly Dance Trolls being willing to give foreigners dance lessons?”

They immediately lit up.

“Yes,” Nagwa replied, “We’d be delighted to teach you, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Ooh,” Barb chimed in with a wicked grin on her face. “Popsqueak wants to spice things up with her hubby!”

Poppy flushed red, realizing that all the leaders had heard her request.

“Can you guys _**not**_ tell Branch about this?” she pleaded, “I want to surprise him.”

The leaders each promised not to tell him, and Poppy was thankful that Cooper wasn’t present; he would’ve spilt the beans as soon as Branch came back.

“Is there a deadline you would like to learn our dancing by?” Samia continued.

“Harvest Moon,” Poppy replied, hoping that it wasn’t too short notice.

Taheya hummed and nodded. “Three months. That shouldn’t be a problem.”

Poppy inwardly sighed in relief.

“But if you want to keep this a secret from your husband, then we should meet and train in a place where you can go without him getting suspicious.”

“And we should take you to a costume designer during your stay here so your outfit will be ready by then,” Nagwa said.

“I go to Bergentown once a week to hang out with my friend, Queen Bridget. I’ll have to ask her, but I’m sure she won’t mind if we use that time and the castle for dance lessons.”

“Perfect,” Nagwa replied.

Branch reentered the room just then, and the leaders quickly pretended that they had been talking about something else as Poppy returned to her seat.

Poppy took a sip of her drink to hide her giddiness. She could not wait to start learning _Raqs Sharqi_.

Thankfully, Bridget and Gristle were more than happy to let Poppy have her dance lessons in the castle. When Poppy arrived at the Bergentown castle with the Queens, princesses, and their musicians in tow, Bridget even tried a few _Raqs Sharqi_ dance moves herself before deciding it wasn’t her thing and opted to watch instead.

The first thing Poppy learned about _Raqs Sharqi_ dancing was that it was **_way_** harder than it looked.

She went to bed the night after her first class and woke up feeling pain in muscles she didn’t even know she had. Nagwa said that was good; it meant she was doing it right and the more she worked those muscles, the less it would hurt.

“You think too much!” the youngest princess admonished during the second class.

Poppy’s jaw dropped; she had been accused of many things throughout her life, but thinking too much had never been one of them.

“In belly dancing, a Troll’s true personality comes to the surface and shines, and it plays into your personal style of belly dancing,” the princess explained, “It can’t do that if you are too focused on how you’re moving your body. Just let the music move you and stop thinking!”

The Queens backed the princess and used their own dancing to demonstrate. Taheya’s style was sensual and earthy. Samia’s was light and playful. Nagwa was a confident show woman.

Poppy took their advice to heart and began to improve and develop her own style. Her figure even began to trim up a tiny bit, and if Branch noticed, he never said anything.

Halfway through the lessons, and a week after she had to cancel a class to attend Barb and Riff’s wedding, Poppy asked if she could start dancing with props.

One thing was for sure: using snakes for dancing - real or fake - was _**definitely**_ out of the question. Branch would freak out big time.

Same thing for _shamadans_ , or any kind of prop that involved fire.

Poppy was worried she might actually hurt someone if she even tried dancing with swords.

The one time Poppy attempted _Saidi_ dance, the cane slipped out of her hand and hit Bridget in the forehead, so that was out.

That left veils and finger cymbals, which Poppy was excited to discover she was a natural with.

The last lesson - and costume fitting - would be on the day of the Harvest Moon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shamadan - a form of Egyptian dance which includes a shamadan (candelabra) headpiece 
> 
> Saidi - also known as ‘Raqs Assaya’; a Southern Egyptian folkloric dance using a cane or stick called an ‘assaya’
> 
> Cabaret - nightclub belly dance; more like the stuff with the two-piece bra and skirt/pants costume we see today
> 
> Awalim (singular ‘Almah‘) - female entertainers that historically only danced and sang for women in harems. Today they perform at weddings.
> 
> Ghawazee - Egyptian gypsy-like dancers that perform in public streets and have a more traditional style. 
> 
> I’m not sure if Awalim and Ghawazee fall under the Raqs Sharqi category or not, since they both came before Raqs Sharqi was fully developed.
> 
> The Raqs Sharqi Queens are based on real life Egyptian belly dance legends Taheya Karioka, Samia Gamal, Nagwa Fouad. And the husbands of Samia and Nagwa are based on composers that they worked with: Farid Al Atrache and Ahmad Fouad Hassan. In this story, Queen Taheya is a widow.
> 
> The five princesses have names, they just won’t be mentioned until the next chapter because they are also based on real life dancers and I feel like I’m overwhelming you with information as is.
> 
> That smack Delta gave Hickory can either be a platonic ‘Bro, stop that!’ or romantic jealousy. Totally up to you.
> 
> Gah! Sorry if I just fried your brains! I hope I didn’t scare you away!


	3. Harvest Moon: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to get this chapter out sooner, but life happened. Oh, well. It’s out now. Enjoy!

_ Years ago, on the night of the Harvest Moon, a mysterious Troll paid Pop Village a visit and delivered gifts to everyone, becoming known only as...the Giver. Every Harvest Moon since has been the same, leaving presents under the veil of night. Which everyone loves...  _

“...but it drives me completely insane!” Poppy ranted to all the Trolls gathered.

Branch rolled his eyes as his wife continued to give the same I’m-gonna-find-out-who-the-Giver-is-and-thank-them- _ **so**_ -hard speech she had been giving for the past dozen years. Yeah, she had to keep up the facade that she still had no idea who it was to protect his rep, consort or not, but still. This was the first time she gave this heated speech in front of visiting dignitaries, and they seemed a bit startled by the Pop Queen’s vehement behavior.

“Dude, does she do this every year?” whispered Prince D.

Branch shrugged, “Pretty much; at least one Troll that I know of learned to sleep with their eyes open through it.”

“Really?”

Branch nodded in the direction of DJ Suki demonstrating her trick to Trollex.

“However,” Poppy unexpectedly announced, “today I will be meeting with the Queens from the other Genre Tribes, so Smidge will be in charge of finding the Giver this year.”

She paused dramatically as she held up an elaborate thank-you card.

“So this is your last chance, Giver! Come forward now and take your thank-you like a Pop Troll!”

An uncomfortable silence followed as the Trolls exchanged uncertain glances. No one fessed up.

Poppy feigned a sigh of disappointment. After dismissing the Trolls, she handed the card to Smidge.

“I guess you’ll be doing this the hard way. _**Again**_. Sorry I won’t be able to help this year.”

Smidge waved her off. “Don’t worry about it; I know how important this meeting is.” She hesitated, “But if the meeting is about the new foreign exchange program, then how come you’re having it in Bergentown and not here?”

Poppy blanched as her mind spun for an answer.

“Uh...well...Queen Bridget wants to meet the other Genre Queens. And besides, if the Queens spend some time among the Bergens, they might feel more comfortable with sending kids to Pop Village with it being so close to Bergentown.”

Smidge was stone-faced for the longest second of Poppy’s life.

“That makes sense,” Smidge finally said with a smile. “See ya later, Poppy.”

Poppy discreetly exhaled in relief as Smidge walked away. As much as she hated lying to the Snack Pack, she knew keeping secrets wasn’t one of their strong points, especially _**this**_ kind of secret.

She was about to jump down from the mushroom stage when she noticed Queen Taheya talking to King Peppy at the back of the crowd, quirking an eyebrow when Peppy said something that caused the two of them to erupt in laughter.

**_Huh, interesting_ _._ **

“You okay?”

Poppy turned to see Branch had climbed up on the mushroom.

“Uh huh, just noticing my dad and Queen Taheya.”

Branch followed her gaze.

“Oh,” he answered slowly. He hadn’t seen the former Pop King smile like that since Poppy’s mother was still alive.

“Poppy, are you... _ **okay**_ with it? If they end up together?” Branch asked.

Poppy thought about it for a moment. “It’s kinda weird, but you know how I am; I think everyone deserves to be happy. And if Dad and Taheya can make each other happy, then they have my blessing. I just hope Naima and Khyriyya feel the same way.”

Branch nodded at the mention of Taheya’s daughters, then he straitened.

“That reminds me, you should be leaving for Bergentown in a few minutes.”

Poppy jumped. “Oh, my hair, thanks for reminding me!”

She hopped down from the mushroom and grabbed her backpack with Branch hot on her heels.

“Poppy, are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”

Poppy stopped and hid her panic behind a reassuring grin; she was becoming quite the actress.

“Yeah, I got all the notes you made for me, and we’ll just hang out and talk about girly stuff afterwards.”

She stepped closer to her husband to give him a peck on the cheek and whisper in his ear, “You should have your hands full with keeping Smidge off your trail anyway, _**Giver**_.”

Branch blushed as Poppy stepped back with a wicked smirk.

“Okay, you have a point there.”

Poppy smiled lovingly as she slid her arms around Branch’s neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss, oblivious to the excited squealing and wolffish whistles that it drew from surrounding Trolls.

Poppy slowly separated her lips from Branch’s and nuzzled her nose against his.

“I love you, Branch,” she murmured, “I’ll see you tonight.”

“I love you, too, Poppy,” Branch softly replied, “I can’t wait to give you your gift.”

Poppy bit her lip in an effort to contain her excitement. _**And I can’t wait to give you yours, oh husband of mine.**_

“Hey!” Barb called from behind them. “You two lovebirds need to wrap it up; we got a bus to catch!”

With a last quick kiss goodbye, Poppy leaped onto the bus and sat with the five _Raqs Sharqi_ princesses: Naima, Soheir, Azza, Khyriyya, and Dina.

“We brought your costume,” Azza said, holding up a black garment bag.

“Keep that down!” Poppy hissed as she frantically shoved the bag down and glanced out the window, praying that Branch didn’t see it.

Thankfully, one of the younger Pop Trolls had grabbed Branch’s hand and was pulling him away from the bus. He glanced up and gave Poppy a wave before being yanked away.

“Phew!” Poppy exclaimed as she slumped into her seat. “He’s gone.”

Azza handed Poppy the garment bag; she took it eagerly, but felt her arms drop at the weight of it. Was it supposed to be this heavy?

“Well,” Soheir giggled, “let’s see it!”

Poppy was just about to unzip the bag when the bus jolted forward, Cloud Guy at the wheel.

“Um, I’m actually gonna wait until we get there.”

Poppy settled back into her seat with the garment bag draped across her lap. She wanted to see her costume so badly, but with Cloud Guy driving the bus, she didn’t want to risk it getting ruined if he drove them into another Worm Hole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that first part was taken directly from “The Giver” episode. I don’t own that, by the way.
> 
> This was supposed to have the part with Poppy’s final dress rehearsal, but I felt the chapter would’ve been too long, so I’ll save it for the next chapter.
> 
> The five princesses are based on Egyptian belly dancers Naima Akef, Khyriyya Mazin (a Ghawazee dancer), Soheir Zaki, Azza Sherif, and Dina Talaat.


	4. Harvest Moon: Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oy vey, this past week has been challenging. It’s nice to finally have some time to focus on my writing. Enjoy!

**Three Months Earlier...**

The day after their arrival, Poppy and the _Raqs Sharqi_ Queens and princesses made plans to pick out a _Raqs Sharqi_ costume. They decided to make a Girls’ Day out of it and invited Barb, Essence, Delta, and the female Reggaetón and K-Pop Trolls to tag along.

Their first stop was a reputable costume designer who was a retired _Raqs Sharqi_ dancer herself.

“Eman? Are you here?” Nagwa called as they led the women into the shop.

Poppy entered behind the Queens as a female _Raqs Sharqi_ Troll emerged from a back room with a tape measure around her neck. She smiled warmly.

“Good day, your majesties,” she greeted, “How can I help you?”

“Our new friend, Queen Poppy of the Pop Trolls, would like a dance costume,” explained Soheir, Samia’s older daughter. She turned to gesture to said Queen, only to find that she was now on the other side of the shop.

Poppy had been drawn to an old black-and-white photograph of a _Raqs Sharqi_ dancer. The dancer’s costume consisted of an embellished bra and matching belt, a mesh body stocking, and a flowing double-layered skirt with slits up each side and the sides tucked into the belt.

“Can you make something like this?” Poppy asked, pointing to the photograph.

Eman approached Poppy and smiled at the photo.

“That’s a vintage style that was quite popular sixty years ago, but I’m sure I can replicate it.”

“Great!” Poppy exclaimed, “I love vintage!”

They sat down at Eman’s desk to discuss the exact design while most of the other ladies browsed and tried on outfits (except for Delta and Barb, though Poppy was certain she spotted Barb eyeing a black-and-silver costume).

“Would you like personalized embroidery on the top and belt?” Eman asked, looking up from the sketch she was working on for the costume.

Poppy reached into her hair and pulled out the headband she wore back when she was a princess.

“If it’s not too much trouble, could you do something like this in the colors I mentioned? I’d also like a new headband with any leftover fabric, if that’s an option.”

“Of course,” Eman stated, studying the headband and copying the flowers in the margins of the paper. “And might I make a suggestion?”

Eman stood and crossed the shop to reach into a glass jewelry case. She returned with a gold belly chain with a single flower in the middle and a matching anklet. Poppy gasped when she noticed the flowers in the two jewelry pieces were the colors she wanted her costume to be.

“How much?”

“We’ll discuss prices later,” Eman replied, taking the tape measure from around her neck. “First, we need to take measurements and order the fabric.”

**Harvest Moon...**

At the Bergentown castle, Bridget set up a pizza box and a pocket mirror to serve as a makeshift changing room for Poppy while Bridget got to know the other Queens and Princesses.

As they were discussing the foreign exchange program, Poppy poked her head out from behind the pizza box.

“Um...we have a slight problem.”

“What’s wrong, Poppy?” Bridget asked, concerned.

Poppy grimaced. “The costume is just a bit too loose.”

Dina, Nagwa’s daughter, hummed as she fished around her bag and produced a portable sewing kit. She rounded the edge of the pizza box to find that the belt, skirts, and even the stretchy body stocking were a little too big on Poppy.

“You’ve definitely lost weight since Eman measured you. Fortunately, you haven’t lost so much that it can’t be easily fixed.”

Poppy lifted her arms as Dina tugged and stitched sections of the costume.

“Sheesh! You’re doing more Belly Dancing than I am; I haven’t lost an ounce.” Barb noted.

“Barb!” Poppy exclaimed, her head whipping around in the direction of her friend’s voice. “ ** _You_** learned Belly Dance?”

“ ** _Snake_** Belly Dance,” Barb emphasized, “and it was totally worth it! I gave Riff a private snake dance recital on our honeymoon, and he pounced on me like a wild cat!”

Poppy and the other Queens and princesses either giggled or feigned scandalized noises. However, Poppy didn’t know what was less believable: that the shy, awkward drummer had pounced on Barb, or that the Queen of Hard Rock had allowed herself to be pounced on. **_Oh well_** , she shrugged; that was none of her business.

Poppy heard Delta Dawn chuckle. “So, Barb, did your performance result in any baby buns in the oven?”

The female royals giggled again, and Poppy couldn’t hold in a giddy squeal, both at Delta’s choice of words and the thought of becoming an auntie.

For once, Barb didn’t reply with a snarky comeback or a hard ‘no.’ When she spoke again, it sounded like she was frowning.

“Well, Riff and I have been talking about that. On one hand, we want to wait a year or two. But on the other, Dad wants to see his grandkids, and Riff and I want that, too. And we don’t know how much time Dad’s got left in him. So, I guess it’ll just happen when it’s supposed to happen.”

She raised her voice, her smug tone returning. “What about you, Popsqueak? You looking to get knocked up tonight?”

Poppy blushed. She and Branch had only been married four months, so the subject of children never really had the chance to come up. Poppy wanted to be a mother, and Branch was so great with kids, she knew he would be a wonderful father.

“Maybe,” she answered, “Like you said, it’ll probably happen when it’s meant to.”

“That’s fair,” Barb replied.

“And...finished!” Dina stepped back with a satisfied smile.

Poppy beamed at herself in the mirror. **_Ooooh, just wait until Branch sees me in this!_**

“How does it look?” Essence called.

Poppy didn’t answer her right away; after tucking the sides of the skirt into the belt like in the photograph, she followed Dina out from behind the pizza box, and all the women ooh-ed and ah-ed.

The circle-panel skirts were two layers of soft silk, the top layer a rich bluish-purple and the bottom teal, with slits up either side. The bra and belt were the same color as the underskirt with purple floral embroidery and delicate gold chain loops. Connecting the bra to the belt and skirts was a purple mesh body stocking. This was all topped by a floral headband, two pairs of gold finger cymbals, a teal veil made from transparent silk, and the belly chain and anklet.

Poppy grinned and gave a twirl, the skirts flowing out and twisting around her legs again as she came to a stop.

“How much fabric are in these skirts again?” she asked.

“Ten Troll-yards each,” Khyriyya said.

“So **_that’s_** why they’re so heavy,” Poppy grumbled.

“Hey,” Naima chimed in with a smile, “you **_did_** say you wanted the skirts to be as flowy as possible.”

Poppy nodded. “True.”

“That outfit must’ve been expensive,” Wani remarked.

“Actually, Eman said it was a gift.”

_**And thank goodness for that!**_ Poppy learned that even pre-made Belly Dance costumes cost a small fortune. But a custom one whipped up on such short notice? If Eman hadn’t insisted on making it for free, Poppy would’ve had no idea how to pay for it, even if Pop Village **_did_** have a currency system.

Taheya stepped up to Poppy and presented her with the much-less-elaborate practice costume she had been using for the past three months.

“You still have one more rehearsal, and I’m assuming you don’t want the nice one to smell like sweat for your performance tonight.”

Poppy cringed at the thought before taking the practice costume and heading back behind the pizza box. As soon as she was out of sight, she heard the conversation start up again.

“Poppy looks so beautiful in that dress,” Bridget said.

Essence chuckled. “I agree; I wonder what Branch will think when he sees it.”

“Pfft, I’ve seen the way he looks at her when she’s wearing her everyday clothes.” Poppy could practically hear Barb smirking as she added, “He’ll take one look at her in that costume, and she’ll be knocked up before she can dance for him.”

“ _ **I can still hear you guys!**_ ” Poppy called.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eman is based on the real life costume designer Eman Zaki, who makes really beautiful dance costumes. The costume I described Poppy wearing is not one of Eman Zaki’s, though.
> 
> Poppy’s costume is a style that I’ve seen in quite a few Egyptian belly dance clips from the 1960’s; it’s my personal favorite style. Aaand if you want to see Poppy in this dance costume, you can head over to my Tumblr or Instagram under my username @newtobroppy and look under the Belly Dance tag (it’s my first time drawing anything Trolls related, so please go easy on me).
> 
> I think that if Barb ever learned belly dancing, she would only do so for the bragging rights of using cool props - and spicing up her love life - and it’s hard to top live snakes. There are swords and shamadans (candelabras), but those are more dangerous and, frankly, require more self control. And after seeing what Barb did with that chainsaw, I don’t really trust her with a sword or a shamadan.
> 
> We all know Barb would be the dominant one in her relationship with Riff, but who knows? Maybe she likes to mix things up once in a while. ;-)
> 
> The next and final chapter will be Poppy’s performance for Branch! Yay! I can’t believe I’m already almost done with this.


	5. A Gift for the Giver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheesh, writing dance scenes is hard! I’ve never written anything like this before, and I may come back and edit this chapter, but we’ll see.
> 
> I hope you like it!

Branch suppressed a yawn as he made his way back to the bunker later that night; between misleading Smidge and delivering everyone’s gifts without being seen, he was pretty beat. Normally, he would’ve gone right to bed, only he hadn’t given Poppy her gift yet, and he had found a note at the hideout where he kept his Giver-Alter-Ego stuff.

Opening the note for the umpteenth time, he silently read:

_**Darling,**_

_**When you’re done, come right back home; I have a surprise waiting. I love you!!!**_

  
Where a name would usually be signed, there was a glittery, pink kiss mark. A quick sniff confirmed that it was his wife’s favorite strawberry-kiwi flavored lip gloss.

Branch was mildly curious what the ‘surprise’ was. Knowing Poppy, it would be a spine-snapping hug, the thank-you card from earlier, and some kind of dessert loaded with chocolate. He smiled to himself, wondering what he did right in his life to deserve being Poppy’s husband.

As the elevator settled at the bottom of the bunker, Branch braced himself for Poppy’s crushing hug. Except...it didn’t come. There was no sign of Poppy anywhere, not even scattered scrapbooking supplies or a cooking mess in the kitchen.

“Poppy?” Branch called.

He became worried when he came to the bedroom and saw she wasn’t there either. He was about to panic and alert Pop Village that the Queen had gone missing when a song he didn’t recognize began to play on the stereo and the bedroom door slammed shut behind him.

He whirled around to find-

_**Trolly moly!**_

Poppy was standing beside the door. Her hair was down and encircled by a floral headband, and a transparent teal veil was wrapped around her, barely concealing the dress she wore beneath it.

She gave Branch a smirk as she sashayed over to him, dropping the stereo remote on the nearest shelf and placing a hand on his chest. He twitched at the feeling of cold finger cymbals against his skin.

“Surprise,” she purred, gently pushing him backwards.

Branch slowly sat down at the foot of their bed, not taking his eyes off his wife as she giggled and stepped back. He was fairly sure his jaw hit the floor when she opened her veil and revealed her elaborate teal-and-purple Belly Dance costume.

_**His colors...**_

For Pop Trolls, intentionally wearing their spouse’s colors was considered a **_very_** intimate gesture.

Poppy paused as the short opening song came to an end, taking in Branch’s expression.

Even though they were married, Poppy knew that a lot of women harbored crushes on Branch; a few were even bold enough to flirt with him. Satin and Chenille, though they were dating other guys, still caught themselves unintentionally staring at him too long. For the most part, Poppy didn’t mind, but there were times when it bothered her to the point of feeling insecure about herself.

But now, with her husband staring at her in slack jawed awe as if she were some otherworldly being, Poppy had never felt more desirable in her life.

Taheya’s words came back to her mind: _**“Take what you are feeling and let it be part of your dance.”**_

Poppy smiled and twirled when the first notes of the main song started. _**I’ll do just that.**_

Branch could only stare in a trance as Poppy twirled and her skirts and veil flowed out around her. She halted and started to move her body in a way that was making him melt in his seat. He could not believe that he had such a beautiful, unearthly woman all to himself. 

Poppy flicked the veil to make it wrap around her arms, sliding her hips in a figure-eight motion. She lifted her arms and did the vibrating hip shimmy Nagwa had taught her. She then pranced toward Branch, letting the veil billow out behind her. She let go of the veil with one hand to bring it in front of her; she didn’t stop dancing as she languidly looped the veil around the back of her husband’s neck.

Branch gulped, feeling Poppy lightly tug him forward with the veil, an enticing glint in her eyes. As mesmerized as he was by his wife’s dancing, what she was doing at the moment was making it difficult for him to resist jumping to his feet and kissing her senseless. He managed to scoot forward a few centimeters before Poppy released the veil and spun away from him.

She gave him a flirtatious wink, then began to play her finger cymbals. She danced in a semicircle so her back was to Branch. Carefully, she dropped to her knees and leaned backwards until her back was on the floor and she was looking at Branch upside-down.

If Branch hadn’t been drooling before, he was certain he was now.

Poppy smiled widely and continued to play the cymbals and move her arms and upper body to the music. Even at the angle she was at, she could see her husband’s face becoming a nice shade of purple. Although, she couldn’t tell if it was because he was blushing or if he forgot how to breathe.

She leaned back up and glanced over her shoulder, still playing her cymbals. Yup, he was still breathing. **_Phew!_** She swung around on her knees to face Branch and did some hip drops, a wide hip circle, and tossed her hair around before standing again.

Poppy’s dancing slowed along with the music. In a practiced move, she gently removed the cymbals from her fingers and let them fall to the floor. She untucked the sides of her skirts from the top of her belt and held them out as she twirled and coyly strode over to him, swaying her hips, stopping just in front of him.

Poppy led her arms above her and brought them down in front of her and used them to frame her body as she did isolated belly undulations.

_**How is she making her stomach muscles do that?**_ Branch thought.

Poppy turned away from him again and moved her arms in a hypnotic, serpentine way in front of her while languidly leaning backwards so her face was next to Branch’s. He shivered when she grinned wickedly and placed a quick peck on his jaw and danced out of his reach.

The song’s tempo picked up, and so did Poppy’s dancing. She alternated between hip and shoulder shimmies and began twirling as the music picked up speed. She spun faster and faster and faster then fell across Branch’s lap as the song ended.

Laughing, Poppy wrapped her arms around Branch’s neck and kissed him.

“How’s _**that**_ for a thank-you, Giver?”

Branch chuckled and slid his arms around Poppy’s waist. “That’s probably the best thank-you I’ve ever gotten. Where did you learn to dance like that?”

“I met up with the _Raqs Sharqi_ Queens and princesses whenever I went to Bridget’s.”

“Ah.” Poppy’s recent weight loss suddenly made much more sense. “So, today’s ‘meeting’ had nothing to do with the foreign exchange program?”

“Oh no, we talked about that, too,” Poppy replied, “We just multi-tasked and squeezed in a costume fitting and final dance rehearsal.”

Poppy adjusted herself so she was sitting more comfortably on her husband’s lap.

“So, what gift did you bring me?”

Branch’s expression became serious. He unclasped Poppy’s belly chain and set it aside before placing a hand on Poppy’s lower abdomen.

“Poppy, I know we’ve only been married a few months, and we haven’t talked about this before,” he hesitated, suddenly nervous. “...but...do...do you...do you want children?”

Poppy beamed and threw herself at Branch, squealing happily as they fell back on the bed.

“I take it that’s a ‘yes?’”

“Duh! That’s one of the reasons I did all this!” Poppy pushed herself onto her knees and gestured to her outfit.

Branch smirked and grasped her hips.

“Well, it worked; I barely managed to restrain myself. I also noticed the colors of your dress.”

Poppy grinned; she knew that detail and its meaning wouldn’t be lost on him. She removed her headband and tossed it over her shoulder.

“Since you got the message, would you care to act on it?”

Branch pulled her back down to him and kissed her passionately, giving in to his desire for her.

“I’d love to,” he said lowly between kisses, “but first I need to find my wife underneath all this fabric.”

The next night, the royal couple were snuggled together, their entwined hands resting on Poppy’s belly, which Doctor Plum confirmed would grow bigger in the coming months.

“Thank you,” Poppy murmured.

Branch smiled and kissed his wife’s temple. “No, thank **_you_**.”

As they drifted off to sleep, Poppy made a mental note to ask the _Raqs Sharqi_ Trolls about Belly Dancing through pregnancy and childbirth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did...did I finish a multi-chapter fic? Me? I’ve never done that before. Yay! I’m so proud of myself!
> 
> I’m working on an art piece to go with this chapter, and I had hoped to have it done by now, but Branch’s anatomy is being very frustrating, so keep your eyes open for it on Tumblr and Instagram.
> 
> Poppy leaves kiss marks on the notes, letters, cards and invites she gives to Branch and you can’t convince me otherwise.
> 
> I’m also ignoring canon as far as where Troll babies come from. I headcanon that Trolls start showing signs of pregnancy the day after conception, and that they only carry them for a few months.
> 
> The songs I personally had in mind for Poppy’s dance are:
> 
> \- “Aziza” (performed by Hossam Ramzy) 
> 
> \- “Taht El Shebbak” (performed by Hoda Al Sonbaty) 
> 
> \- “Ah Ya Zein” (performed by Mohammad Qandeel)
> 
> \- “Escape from Cairo” (Mohammad Al Hasan Abo Abid)
> 
> \- “Shik Shak Shok” (any version)
> 
> \- And there’s two albums called “The Best Belly Dance Album Ever” and “Cabaret d’Egypte” that have several other songs I thought could work too.
> 
> I couldn’t make up my mind which one to use, so I just thought I’d list them here and give you the option (all of the above are available on YouTube). Of course, if you want to imagine a completely different song for this scene, then go for it! I’d love to hear what songs you come up with!
> 
> I had so much fun writing this story, and I look forward to writing more Broppy fics in the future. I really appreciate all the kudos and kind words from all of you! Thank you so much!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are always appreciated by this author. :-)


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